Captain Kopeikin. Dead souls characterization of the image of captain kopeikin Who is the captain of kopeikin dead souls

“The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” is one of the parts of the work of N. V. Gogol “Dead Souls”, namely, the tenth chapter, and is a story of one of the heroes of this work about a certain soldier named Kopeikin. The postmaster came up with this story to explain to the frightened officials of the provincial city of N who Chichikov was, where he came from and for what purpose he bought dead souls. This is a story about a soldier who lost an arm and a leg in the war for the fatherland, but turned out to be unnecessary to his country, which led him to become the leader of a gang of robbers.

The main idea of this story is that indifference and ruthlessness sometimes knows no bounds. The postmaster, who tells the story of a poor soldier who gave everything to his homeland, but in return could not receive even a minimum allowance, wants to attract attention and show off his education and richness of style. Officials, listening to this tragic story, do not feel the slightest sympathy for the unfortunate captain.

Picture or drawing The Tale of Captain Kopeikin

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CAPTAIN KOPEIKIN

CAPTAIN KOPEIKIN - the hero of "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" in N.V. Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" (the first volume of 1842 under the qualification, called "The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls"; second, volume 1842-1845). The Tale of Captain Kopeikin exists in three main editions; in modern editions, the second is printed, uncensored. The folklore source of the image of KK is a cycle of robber songs about the thief Kopeikin, in particular “Kopeikin with Stepan on the Volga”. Possible literary sources are "Vadim" by M.Yu. Lermontov, "Dubrovsky" and "The Captain's Daughter" by A.S. Pushkin. The metaphorical meaning of the image of K.K. is enclosed in a name that implements the proverb: “life is a penny” (cf. in the original version: “everything is used, you know, to dissolute life, everyone’s life is a penny, you will forget it everywhere, even if the grass does not grow ...”). Although K.K. formally not connected with other characters of the poem, nevertheless, the associative image of K.K. addressed to Chichikov (“knight of a penny”) - also a robber, robbing the treasury. The postmaster's story about K.K. caused by the confusion of the "fathers of the city" before Chichikov's scam and rumors about his robbery past. With Chichikov K.K. also connects the spirit of adventurism and the general desire to gain well-being in life with "unrighteous wealth." Finally, the main symbol of the poem is the "penny". (Compare the testament of Father Chichikov, brought to life by his son: “Most of all, take care and save a penny: this thing is the most reliable thing in the world. A comrade or friend will cheat you and in trouble the first one will get you out, but the penny will not give out<...>You will do everything and break everything in the world with a penny.”) K.K. - participant in the war of 1812, invalid; near Krasny or Leipzig, his arm and leg were torn off. K.K. comes to St. Petersburg with the aim of obtaining a pension, because, in his words, "he sacrificed his life, shed blood." The minister, the "general-in-chief", promised to resolve his issue the other day. K.K. counting on a quick receipt of money, tempted by the temptations of St. Petersburg, the "fabulous Scheherazade", arranges a revelry. Meanwhile, in the minister's waiting room they don't assign him a pension, "they all bring the same dish: "tomorrow"". K.K. rebels, as a result of which, by order of the minister, he is sent at public expense to his place of residence. Then K.K. becomes chieftain of a gang of robbers in the Ryazan forests (second and third editions). In the original version of The Tale, moreover, K.K. robs exclusively state property, makes capital and flees to the United States, from where he writes a letter of repentance to the sovereign with a request to pardon his comrades. The sovereign turns out to be magnanimous: he orders that the perpetrators not be prosecuted and, correcting the omission of his officials, establishes an invalid capital that guarantees an improvement in the life of the wounded.

The image of K.K. dual in Gogol. On the one hand, bureaucratic-police Russia, soulless bureaucratic Petersburg intend to destroy K.K. without pity, as they crushed Bashmachkin, Piskarev, Poprishchin; “the criminal indifference of the capital turned the defender of the motherland into the ataman of a band of robbers” (V. Markovich). Petersburg is approaching the biblical Babylon, mired in sins, idolatry, forgetting the commandments (E. Smirnova), the theme of the coming retribution sounds (compare with Bashmachkin tearing off his greatcoats in the epilogue). At the same time, K.K. by no means passive: like Poprishchin, he demands instant fulfillment of his egoistic claim. But if in such a situation Bashmachkin ends up dead, and Poprishchin madness, then K.K. chooses rebellion against the state as a way out of the social impasse. Robbery K.K. seeks to achieve social justice. A sharp opponent of rebellion, Gogol reduces the image of K.K., highlighting the Khlestakov-Nozdrev element in it. K.K. obsessed with the passions of envy and anger: he eats “salted cucumber and bread for two pennies”, and in the restaurant “cutlets with truffles”, a huge watermelon, a stagecoach of sorts, is looking for a fool who would pay a hundred rubles (cf. Khlestakov’s “seven hundred rubles watermelon"). These passions are generated by the main passion - to a penny, the hero of 1812 is powerless before it. Passions destroy the soul of K.K. Chaotic, rebellious, world-shattering K.K. opposes the utopian image of a wise and merciful sovereign peacemaker, as Gogol would like to see him, writing in Selected passages from correspondence with friends: “The sovereign’s power is a meaningless phenomenon if he does not feel that he should be the image of God on earth.”

Lit. Smirnova-Chikina E. Comments on N.V. Gogol's poem "Dead Souls". L., 1934; Stepanov N. Gogolevskaya "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" and its source

// Izvestia OLYA AN USSR. Issue. 1. T.XVIII. M, 1959; Mann Yu. Courage of invention. Features of the artistic world of Gogol. M., 1979; Smirnova E.A. On the ambiguity of "Dead Souls"

//Context-1982. M., 1983; Markovich V. Petersburg stories of N.V. Gogol. L., 1989; see also

Lit .: to the article "Chichikov".

A.B.Galkin

literary heroes. - Academician. 2009 .

See what "CAPTAIN KOPEIKIN" is in other dictionaries:

Captain Kopeikin ("Dead Souls")- See also, Captain... Dictionary of literary types

Kopeikin, Captain ("Dead Souls")- See also... Dictionary of literary types

Screenplay based on the poem of the same name (1842-1852) by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (1809-1852). During Bulgakov's lifetime it was not filmed or published. Directed by Ivan Aleksandrovich Pyryev (1901 1968) (co-authored with Bulgakov) ... ... Encyclopedia Bulgakov

Creativity Gogol - … Dictionary of literary types

Dramatization of the poem of the same name (1842 1852) by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (1809 1852). The premiere at the Moscow Art Theater took place on November 28, 1932. It was not published during Bulgakov's lifetime. For the first time: Bulgakov M. Plays. M .: Soviet writer, 1986 Work on ... Encyclopedia Bulgakov

- (about tasty, tasty) pleasure! Wed Slivyanochki, if you don’t order, or here are Polyannikovka! A delicacy, I can report! P.I. Melnikov. Birthday cake. Wed The cook... works some kind of fenserver, cutlets with truffles, in a word, rassupede delicacy...

- (inosk.) fool Cf. Here the postmaster (who said that Captain Kopeikin, armless and legless, became the chieftain of robbers) screamed and slapped his forehead with all his might, calling himself publicly in front of everyone a veal. Gogol. Dead Souls … Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary

You can eat someone else's sadness with bread, but your own will not go down your throat with a roll. Wed It's good for you, auntie, to laugh. We know that I will sort out someone else's misfortune with my hands, but I won't apply my mind to my own. Pisemsky. Hypochondriac. 4, 8. Cf. A person is wise, smart and intelligent in everything that ... ... Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary

1. To nail (inosk.) to beat (on the head), to bake. Wed (Baton) rushed at the snake and nailed it On the heads and sleeping and not sleeping. Zhukovsky. Ivan Tsarevich. Wed He fluffed everyone ... he began to chip and nail everyone. Gogol. Dead souls... ... Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

It became a famous work. In terms of scale, it ranks next to Eugene Onegin. Getting acquainted with the poem, where the author uses apt figurative language, you read out the adventures of Chichikov. And now, having reached chapter 10, we are faced with such a technique as a plug-in design. The author inserts a story about Captain Kopeikin into his work, thereby diverting the reader's attention from the main plot. Why does the writer introduce the story about Captain Kopeikin in Dead Souls, what is the role of this story and what plot is described in Captain Kopeikin, which may well be a separate story? We will talk about this in, revealing the meaning of the story, as well as answering questions about who told about the captain and how a short story about Kopeikin is included in the plot of the poem.

The Tale of Captain Kopeikin summary

The story about the captain is introduced by the author unexpectedly for the reader. It is akin to a joke that one of the characters wanted to tell. She appears when officials are trying to unravel the mystery of Chichikov's presence in their city. And it was the postmaster, inspired by what was happening, who shouted out that Chichikov was Captain Kopeikin. Then the author tells a story that introduces us to the life of Kopeikin.

If we stop at the story about Captain Kopeikin in, then the essence of the plot will be as follows.

Kopeikin was a soldier who fought for his Motherland in the war against the French. There he loses a leg and an arm, becoming disabled. And now, at the end of the war, the soldier returns home, to where he was no longer needed. Even the parents cannot accept it, since they themselves have nothing to eat. A soldier would be happy to earn money, but there is no way. So he goes to the sovereign, so that he allocates funds for his maintenance. Further, the author describes how the soldier toiled in the general's waiting room, waiting for the mercy of the king. At first, it seemed to Kopeikin that a decision had been made in his favor, but when he visited the reception the next day, he realized that there would be no help. The general only advises to go to the village and wait for a decision there. That's how the soldier was brought to the village at public expense. Then we learn that a gang of robbers began to operate in the forests, while the chieftain was none other than ... Further, we can only guess that it was Kopeikin who led the robbers. Continuing to read, we did not see the sympathy of officials, they did not have indignation about the bureaucracy. They only doubted that Chichikov was the same Kopeikin.

The role of the Tale of Captain Kopeikin

Now I would like to dwell on the role of the story in the poem Dead Souls. As you can see, the author almost at the very end makes an insert about the captain, when we have already met their heroes, their rotten souls, the slavish position of the peasants, the harmful essence of officials, and we also met the acquirer Chichikov.

The story "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" by Gogol is an insert episode in the poem Dead Souls. It is worth noting that this story is not connected with the main storyline of the poem, and is an independent work, thanks to which the author managed to reveal the soullessness of the bureaucratic apparatus.

For better preparation for the literature lesson, we recommend reading the online summary of The Tale of Captain Kopeikin. Also, the retelling will be useful for the reader's diary.

Main characters

Captain Kopeikin- a brave soldier, a participant in the battles with the Napoleonic army, an invalid, persistent and savvy man.

Other characters

Postmaster- a storyteller who tells the officials the story of Captain Kopeikin.

General-in-chief- the head of the temporary commission, a dry, businesslike person.

City officials gather at the governor's house to decide at a meeting who Chichikov really is and why he needs dead souls. The postmaster puts forward an interesting hypothesis, according to which Chichikov is none other than Captain Kopeikin, and takes up a fascinating story about this man.

Captain Kopeikin happened to take part in the campaign of 1812, and in one of the battles he "torn off his arm and leg." He is well aware that “it would be necessary to work, only his hand, you see, is left”, and it is also impossible to remain dependent on the old father - he himself barely makes ends meet.

The crippled soldier decides to go to Petersburg, "to bother with the authorities, if there will be any help." The city on the Neva impresses Kopeikin to the depths of his soul with its beauty, but renting a corner in the capital is very expensive, and he understands that "there is nothing to live on."

The soldier learns that "there is no higher authority now in the capital", and he needs to turn to the temporary commission for help. In a beautiful mansion, where the authorities receive petitioners, a lot of people gather - like beans on a plate. After waiting four hours, Kopeikin finally gets the opportunity to tell the chief general about his misfortune. He sees that “a man on a piece of wood and an empty right sleeve is fastened to his uniform” and offers to appear after a few days.

There is no limit to Kopeikin's joy - "well, he thinks the job is done." In high spirits, he goes to have dinner and "drink a glass of vodka", and in the evening he goes to the theater - "in a word, he drank at full speed."

A few days later, the soldier again comes to the head of the commission. He recalls his petition, but he cannot resolve his issue "without the permission of the higher authorities." It is necessary to wait for the arrival of Mr. Minister from abroad, because only then the commission will receive clear instructions regarding the wounded in the war. The chief gives some money to the soldier so that he can hold out in the capital, but he did not count on such a meager amount.

Kopeikin leaves the department in a depressed mood, feeling "like a poodle that the cook has poured over with water." He is running out of money, there is nothing to live on, and there are an incredible number of temptations in the big city. Every time, passing by a trendy restaurant or a delicatessen shop, he experiences the strongest torment - "drooling, but he wait."

Out of bitter hopelessness, Kopeikin comes to the commission for the third time. He insistently demands a solution to his question, to which the general advises to wait for the arrival of the minister. An enraged Kopeikin raises a real rebellion in the department, and the chief is forced to “resort, so to speak, to strict measures” - the soldier is sent to his place of residence.

Accompanied by a courier, Kopeikin is taken away in an unknown direction. On the way, the unfortunate cripple thinks about how to earn a piece of bread for himself, since the sovereign and the fatherland no longer need him.

The news about Captain Kopeikin could have sunk into oblivion, if two months later rumors had not spread in the district about the appearance of a band of robbers, whose chieftain was the main character ...

Conclusion

At the center of Gogol's work is the relationship between the "little man" and the soulless bureaucratic machine that has crippled many destinies. Wanting to live honestly and receive a well-deserved pension, the hero is forced to embark on a criminal path so as not to die of hunger.

After reading the brief retelling of The Tale of Captain Kopeikin, we recommend that you read Gogol's work in full.

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Retelling rating

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At a meeting where city officials are trying to guess who Chichikov really is, the postmaster hypothesizes that he is Captain Kopeikin and tells the story of this latter.

Captain Kopeikin participated in the campaign of 1812 and lost an arm and a leg in one of the battles with the French. Unable to find food with such a serious injury, he went to Petersburg to ask for the mercy of the sovereign. In the capital, Kopeikin was told that in the magnificent house on the Palace Embankment the highest commission for such matters was sitting, headed by a certain general-in-chief.

Kopeikin appeared there on his wooden leg and, huddled in a corner, waited for the nobleman to come out in the midst of other petitioners, of whom there were many, like "beans on a plate." The general soon came out and began, approaching everyone, asking why someone had come. Kopeikin said that, while shedding blood for the fatherland, he was mutilated and now cannot provide for himself. The nobleman for the first time treated him favorably and ordered "to visit one of these days."

Illustrations for "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin"

Three or four days later, the captain again appeared to the nobleman, believing that he would receive documents for retirement. However, the minister said that the issue could not be resolved so soon, because the sovereign was still abroad with the troops, and orders for the wounded would follow only after his return to Russia. Kopeikin went out in terrible grief: he was already running out of money.

Not knowing what to do next, the captain decided to go to the nobleman for the third time. The general, seeing him, again advised "arm yourself with patience" and wait for the arrival of the sovereign. Kopeikin began to say that, due to extreme need, he had no opportunity to wait. The nobleman moved away from him in annoyance, and the captain shouted: I will not leave this place until they give me a resolution. The general then said that if it was expensive for Kopeikin to live in the capital, then he would send him at public expense. The captain was put into a cart with a courier and taken to no one knows where. Rumors about him stopped for a while, but less than two months later, a gang of robbers appeared in Ryazan affairs, and no one else was its chieftain ...

This is where the postmaster's story in Dead Souls ends: the police chief put it on his face that Chichikov, who has both arms and both legs intact, can in no way be Kopeikin. The postmaster slapped his forehead, publicly called himself a veal and admitted his mistake.

The short "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" is almost not connected with the main plot of "Dead Souls" and even gives the impression of an unimportant foreign inclusion. However, it is known that Gogol attached great importance to it. He was very worried when the first version of "Captain Kopeikin" was not censored, and said: "The Tale" is "one of the best places in the poem, and without it - a hole that I cannot patch up with anything."

Initially, The Tale of Kopeikin was longer. In continuation of it, Gogol described how the captain and his gang robbed only state-owned carriages in the Ryazan forests, without touching private individuals, and how, after many robbery exploits, he left for Paris, sending a letter from there to the tsar with a request not to persecute his comrades. Literary critics are still arguing why Gogol considered The Tale of Captain Kopeikin to be very significant for Dead Souls as a whole. Perhaps she was directly related to the second and third parts of the poem, which the writer did not have time to complete.

The prototype of the minister who expelled Kopeikin, most likely, served as a well-known temporary worker